Hurricane
by conspicuously-empty
Summary: So, this is my entry for the GollyMSMR writing project. As you can tell I had track numero eins as my prompt. Hope you like.


Hurricane

She loved watching Holly work. Whether they were at the morgue, when a case allowed for Gail to be there, or they were at home, Gail loved watching Holly work. She loved watching Holly. Period. "The music you put on my iPod the other day.." Gail started but then waited to see if she had Holly's attention. Holly looked up from the journals she was rearranging. She found the seriousness in Gail's voice curious, "What about it?" Gail looked at the stack of books she was holding for Holly. Yay, for Saturday cleaning at the Stewart-Peck household. She shifted its weight so it was settled against her left hip. Gail could swear it became heavier by the second. Holly turned back around to continue her hunt for _Journal of Forensics _volume 59.4, which was missing from her collection. Gail continued, "It's kinda old. But not too bad. Actually some of the music I even liked." Holly was distracted again. It didn't come as a surprise that she couldn't find the issue; 2014 had been a crazy year. Alas she needed one of the articles for her latest case. Absentmindedly she said, "I'm glad." After some silence Gail spoke again, "I enjoyed MSMR the most." Holly was getting frustrated. Where else could she look for it? "Good." Gail blew her bangs out of her face and shifted the book stack again. "Yeah, I listened to that one album, like, a billion times." She chuckled, "Chris and Nick vowed to never again ride with me. Their loss. They claimed their ears were bleeding after the third time listening. If only."

Holly decided to give up for now and pay more attention to Gail. They only had so much time together so she should really get her priorities straight. She took three books from Gail and put them on the shelves. "Do you like the whole album or do you have favorite songs?" She looked at Gail and then the shelf again. "Hold on, I am gonna go get a rag. This needs some sweeping." Pointing over her shoulder at the shelf Holly disappeared in the kitchen. Gail was glad the stack was a little lighter now but nonetheless had to shift its weight anew. Holly was on her way back, so Gail answered, "Nah, I pretty much like them all." Gail's eyes sought out the far corner of the room and she began to chew on her lower lip. Without looking back at Holly she whispered, "There is one song, though, I always skip." Holly went still and made a thoughtful humming sound. She knew which one Gail was talking about. She feared Gail would end the conversation before getting to the crux, so she stayed quiet. Moving the stack of books from one arm to the other Gail continued. "'No Trace' has a great intro. The title also reminds me of you. The same goes for 'Bones'." Holly gave her a knowing half grin and reached far into the rack to get all the dust. "Oh, really? Because we met over bones and you had to stare at me for an entire day while I was examining them for traces?" Gail rolled her eyes, "Maybe." Holly began to put the books and journals back in their respective places starting with the ones at her feet. "Did BTSK make you think of me, too?" she teased while arranging and rearranging the same three books. Gail huffed, "I don't know what you mean." She gave her a half smirk.

The moment was not as light as they wanted it to be. Their joking seemed almost forced. Holly put down the last book, not caring if it was in the right spot. She approached Gail and took the pile from her placing it on the coffee table. "These books are heavy. Why didn't you put them down?" Gail gave her a telling look. "You handed them to me." At that moment Holly thought Gail was most adorable. The way she slouched but was tense at the same times made it seem as if Gail was bracing herself for something bad. So, Holly slowly raised her hands and reached for Gail's wrists, she then let them slide down and around Gail's hands to briefly entangle their fingers. She stepped as close to Gail as possible keeping enough distance to not touch Gail anywhere else. She lightly held onto her fingertips and her thumb stroked Gail's knuckles ever so slowly. Gail visibly relaxed but Holly waited a moment longer. "It's 'Hurricane." The statement filled the air between them. Gail let out a small breath. A sad smile appeared on her lips and she looked up to find Holly's eyes. They wore matching expressions of melancholy. 'Hurricane' represented everything Gail had wanted to let Holly know when she made up the cat analogy. It was in her nature to anticipate the worst and run before anything could happen to her. She had always feared hurt and thereby denied herself any chance at happiness. Holly, as well, had her fair share of doubts and insecurities threatening her happiness. Gail and Holly stood in front of each other breathing the same air. Both women keep expecting the worst. They keep expecting the other to leave and it all being their own respective faults.

Holly exhaled, "We broke up three times, honey. Yet, here we are, living together." She scrunched up her nose in mock disgust. "I even married you." She gave Gail a reassuring smile, "We have that stupid phrase 'Love conquers all' on our side. We really do love each other. Like crazy." The tear Gail had been trying to hold back fell freely when her face cracked with a grin and she chuckled. "I hate sappy stuff like that." "I know. That's why I am telling you. I am telling you that we also have more than a pseudo comforting line going for us. _We_ make us work. We make _us_ work." Her lips briefly set in a grim line she continued, "I don't doubt you or your love anymore. I don't doubt us and I never will again. You promised you won't either. " Gail closed her eyes and leaned into Holly's body. With a quick kiss to her shoulder Gail let go of Holly's hands and took a step back. "Lunchbox. We have some reshelving to do. Get to it." She picked up some books, piled them in her arms and randomly held one out for Holly to take. Sighing Holly tilted her head, gave Gail a peck on the nose and started to sort through the array of books and journals on their coffee table.

Gail watched Holly put the books and everything else back into their respective places. Gail loved watching Holly. She shifted her book pile's weight around and sighed. Why did this have to be so hard? When Holly finally got to sorting Gail's pile, Gail thought of something. "You know. A hurricane is kinda like a tornado. We could... maybe we could be Dorothys." That sentence stopped making sense the moment it left her mouth. She frowned in confusion wondering why she had to come back to the stupid conversation about a song. Well, they had promised each other to communicate. Trying her best to keep a straight face Holly inquired "Oh, really? Are you sending your cat to OZ? Tree and all?" At that Gail's eyes almost rolled out of their sockets, she was getting frustrated. She wanted to convey her feelings to Holly but didn't know how. "I am adopting your sappy ways to say that this cat" pointing at herself she rephrased, "that _I_ found my home with you. I didn't need red slippers to see there is no one like you. So, hurricanes, when they are tornadoes and lead me to you, are really nothing to dread. Right?"


End file.
